While I’m not surprised to see the weekend press dominated by the impact of sanctions on Russian macro, I have been pretty clear in saying the Russian economy was headed for flat to slightly higher (+0.5%) GDP growth in 2014 unless the world economy demanded much greater from the commodity space.

The appointment of Vladimir Putin friend and former Russian energy minister Igor Sechin as head of state-run oil producer Rosneft (RNFTF, quote) reveals that the old status quo will be maintained in the new government.

Vladimir Putin will be inaugurated for his third term as Russia’s president today, and with typical grandiosity has declared a national holiday in his own honor. Looking at the Kremlin’s pomp and circumstance, it would be easy to forget that the mass protests in the streets of Russia last winter ever happened.

For years there was only one Russia ETF that really counted: the Market Vectors Russia (RSX, quote). Since then, iShares has made a big play for its piece of the Russia trade, and some traders have already reaped the rewards.

Economists are still digesting Vladimir Putin’s vow to spend an additional 1.5% of Russian GDP during his campaign to retake the presidency. Given the intimate relationship between the Russian economy and oil, keeping that promise requires certain assumptions about global energy prices to come true — and these assumptions have a direct impact on U.S. households.

Christophe de Margerie, chief executive officer of France’s global integrated oil company Total SA (TOT, quote), has emerged as one of the highest-profile supporters for the peak oil school of thought, which contends the world will eventually run out of economically extractable petroleum.